1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to data processing systems and, in particular, to a data processing system and method for displaying a graphical depiction of the configuration of the system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a data processing system and method for determining a configuration of the system and graphically displaying a graphical depiction of the configuration prior to a completion of the booting of the system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal computer systems are well known in the art. They have attained widespread use for providing computer power to many segments of today""s modern society. Personal computers (PCs) may be defined as a desktop, floor standing, or portable microcomputer that includes a system unit having a central processing unit (CPU) and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, including random access memory (RAM) and basic input/output system read only memory (BIOS ROM), a system monitor, a keyboard, one or more flexible diskette drives, a CD-ROM drive, a fixed disk storage drive (also known as a xe2x80x9chard drivexe2x80x9d), a pointing device such as a mouse, and an optional network interface adapter. One of the distinguishing characteristics of these systems is the use of a motherboard or system planar to electrically connect these components together. Examples of such personal computer systems are IBM""s PC 300 series, Aptiva series, and Intellistation series.
Current computer systems, including personal computers and other types of computer systems, generate a system configuration listing. The system configuration listing provides a list of the devices coupled to the computer system. The list identifies each device and identifies the port to which the device is coupled. However, the system configuration listing cannot be used to quickly determine the overall configuration of the system. It is difficult to use to determine how the nodes of a data processing system are interconnected. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cnodexe2x80x9d means a type of input/output (I/O) expansion tower. An expansion tower is a device which is utilized to couple additional I/O devices to a computer system. The expansion tower is utilized to hold adaptor cards which are inserted into the tower and which are coupled to I/O devices.
Therefore a need exists for a data processing system and method for graphically displaying a graphical depiction of the configuration of the system to permit a user to quickly and easily ascertain how the devices of the system are interconnected.
A data processing system and method are disclosed for displaying a graphical depiction of the system configuration of the data processing system. Execution of a boot process of the data processing system is started. Prior to a completion of the boot process, a configuration of the data processing system is determined by the system itself. A graphical depiction of the configuration is then generated. The graphical depiction is then graphically displayed utilizing a display screen which is included in the data processing system. The graphical depiction illustrates each device included in the system as well as how the devices are interconnected. Thereafter, the execution of the boot process is completed. The steps of determining a configuration, generating a graphical depiction, and graphically displaying the graphical depiction are completed prior to completing the booting the data processing system, and thus prior to an operating system being executed by the data processing system.